Headboard for sails



NV- 22, 1949 l. F. MANCHESTER, JR 2,488,918

umn-BOARD Fon vsAILs 2 sheets-sheet 1 June 2, 1948 Nov. 22, 1949 HEAD-BOARD FOR SAILS Filed ,zum 2, 194s 2 sheets-sheet 2 'Ml'aeg 1. F, MANCHESTER, JR A 2,488,918

Patented Nov. 22, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HEADBOARD FOR SAILS Isaac F. Manchester, Jr., New Bedford, Mass.

Application June 2, 1948, Serial No. 30,681

Claims.

My invention relates to sails for vessels and in particular to attachments secured to those parts, corners or angles of sails known as heads, throats, peaks, clews and tacks. Although the following description is confined to a triangular fore-and-aft mainsail, the luff-rope of which, when the sail is hoisted or lowered, travels in a groove in a mast, and to attachments secured to the head of the sail; nevertheless this invention is equally applicable to all types of sails, bent to all types of spars with or without grooves, to other bolt-ropes such as head-ropes and footropes as well as luff-ropes and to attachments secured to throats, peaks, clews and tacks as well as heads of sails. d

At the present time, the head-board of a triangular fore-and-aft mainsail, the luf-rope of which, when the sail is hoisted and lowered, travels up and down in a longitudinal, vertical groove in the after side of ya mast, is fastened to the canvas at the head of the mainsail, but is not attached to the luft-rope. The main vhalyard is secured to or near the top of the headboard. The results of this arrangement are that the strain of the halyard is on the canvas, wrinkles, bags and/or "ha-rd spots are produced along the luif and/or kin the belly of the sail, the leach is caused to pucker, and the headboard is insecure in relation to the mast.

The principal object of this invention is to eliminate wrinkles, bags, hard spots, puckers and the like and to give the sail a good setj by taking the strain of the halyard off the canvas and applying it to the luff-rope, and by providing a head-board firmly secured in relation to the mast, but free to swing to port or to starboard to conform with the trim of the Sail on either `tack and capable of being easily hoisted and lowered with the sail.

One feature of this invention is a head-board, not only attached to the canvas of a sail, but .also to the luff-rope thereof. Another feature is a head-board having a portion adapted .to travel within a groove of a mast, when the sail islioisted or lowered. A further feature Ais a hinge between said portion and that part of the head-board to which the canvas .is attached.

Other objects and features will appear from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical, fore-and-aft section through -a grooved mast showing the head of a sail and the head-board hoisted adjacent to the truck of the mast,

Fig. 2 is a side view of another form of headboard with the sail and mast removed.

Fig. 3 is -a cross-sectional view taken along line 3 3 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 of Fig. 2, and

to which the halyard 23 Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional 5--5 of Fig. 1.

The luff of mainsail I is secured by such means, as by sewing, around luif-rope or bolt-rope 2, Figs. l and 5. On the after side of mast 3 is a longitudinal, vertical groove 4, running substantially the height of the mast, into which the luf vof the mainsail and the luff rope are inserted. The canvas of the mainsail leads ait out of the groove through slot 5 between oppositely disposed jaws 6. The latter are so spaced apart as to allow the canvas to pass freely therebetween, but prevent the luff and the luft-rope from escaping aft out of the groove.

The head of the mainsail is fastened by such means as by stitches 1, Fig. l, to head-board 8, which has therethrough small holes S, Fig. 2, to facilitate sewing the head of the sail to the head-board and larger holes I5 to decrease the weight thereof. Integral with the head-board and on the forward edge thereof is a cylindrical projection II, Figs. 1, 2 and 3, through the axis of which is a hole I3. Hinged to the projection II by means of a pintle I2 is hinge member i4, Figs. l, 2, 3 and Il, consisting of a cylindrical, tubular piece I5, a neck I6, and two other pieces I'I.

The piece I5, located on the forward side of the hinge member I4, h-as a tubular opening I8 extending throughout the length thereof. The upper end of the luffrope 2, extending above the top of the luli` of the mainsail, is inserted into the opening I8 and is secured therein by lashings I9, or by any other suitable means. such as rivets, through holes 2U in the port and starboard sides of the piece I5 and through the upper of the luff rope. The piece I5 is of such a size and shape that, together with the upper end of the lui rope and the lashings Iii, it may slide freely up or down within the groove 4, when the sail is hoisted or lowered.

The neck I6 connects the after side of the piece I5 to the forward sides of the pieces I'I and is sufficiently narrow to pass freely through the slot 5 to allow the sail to be hoisted or lowered. The neck extends through the slot 5 to such a view taken along line point .aft of the jaws 6 that the pieces I? will not chafe the after side of the mast.

The pieces I7 are located on the upper and lower portions of the after edge of the neck I6. One of them is placed directly above and the other directly below and adjacent to the projection II. Each has a longitudinal hole 2| placed directly in line with the hole I3 of the projection II. Pintle I2 is inserted through the holes I3 and 2l, and is secured therein preferably by means of lock pin I2a, extending through aligned holes in the lower piece I'! and the pintle.

In Fig. 1, the upper piece I'I has a rearwardly extending projection 22 with a hole therethrough is attached preferably by means of an eye-splice 24, bolt 25 and shackle board 8 is cut away to allow the latter to move 26. The upper, forward corner of the headfreely, to port or to starboard, in relation to the upper piece l1, the bolt 25 and the shackle 26. In Fig. 2, the upper piece il has no rearwardly extending projection, the hole to which the halyard is attached is in the upper, forward corner of the head-board, and the pintle l2 eX- tends preferably all the way through the upper piece l1.

Otherwise, except as noted in the preceding paragraph, the head-board illustrated in Fig. l is substantially the same as that illustrated in Fig. 2.

The halyard 23 passes in the usual manner aloft and forward over sheave 21, rotatably mounted in a fore-and-aft hole through the truck of the mast, and then leads below to or near the deck.

I claim:

1. A device secured to a corner of a sail and to a spar comprising a board fastened to said sail at said corner and lying in the plane of said sail, a projection on one edge of said board, and a hinge member pivotally secured on one side thereof to said projection and on the other side thereof to a bolt-rope of said sail and to said spar.

2. A device secured fixedly to a corner of a sail and slidably to a spar comprising a board fastened to said sail at said corner and lying in the plane of said sail, a projection on edge of said board, and a hinge member pivotally secured on one side thereof to said projection and on the other side thereof fixedly to a bolt-rope of said sail and slidably to said spar.

3. A device secured iixedly to a corner of a sail and slidably Within a groove in a spar comprising a board fastened to said sail at said corner and lying in the plane of said sail, a projection on one edge of said board, and a hinge member pivotally secured on one side thereof to said projection and on the other side thereof fixedly to a bolt-rope of said sail and slidably Within said groove.

4. A device secured flxedly to a corner of a sail and slidably Within a groove in a spar cornprising a board fastened lto said sail at said corner and lying in the plane of said sail, a projection on one edge of said board, and a hinge member pivotally secured on one side thereof to said projection and having on the other side thereof a cylindrical tube secured fixedly to a bolt-rope of said sail and slidably within said groove.

5. A device secured fixedly to a corner of a sail and slidably to a spar comprising a board fastened to said sail at said corner and lying in the plane of said sail, a projection on edge of said board, and a hinge member pivotally secured on one side thereof to said projection and on the other side thereof fixedly to a bolt-rope of said sail and slidably to said spar and having on the rst mentioned side thereof a perforated extension adjacent to the vertex of said corner.

6. A device secured Xedly to a corner of a sail and slidably to a spar comprising a board fastened to said sail at said corner and lying in the plane of said sail and having a hole therethrough adjacent to the vertex of said corner, a projection on one edge of said board, and a hinge member pivotally secured on one side thereof to said projection and on the other side thereof fixedly to a bolt-rope of said sail and slidably to said spar.

7. A device secured xedly to a corner of a sail and slidably within a groove in a spar comprising a board fastened to said sail at said corner and lying in the plane of said sail, a projection on one edge of said board, and a hinge member pivotally secured on one side thereof to said projection and on the other side thereof fixedly to a bolt-rope of said sail and slidably Within said groove and having on the rst mentioned side thereof a perforated extension adjacent to the vertex of said corner.

8. A device secured fixedly to a corner of a sail and slidably Within a groove in a spar comprising a board fastened to said sail at said corner and lying in the plane of said sail, a projection on one edge of said board, and a hinge member pivotally secured on one side thereof to said projection and having on the other side thereof a cylindrical tube secured xedly to a bolt-rope of said sail and slidably Within said groove and having on the first mentioned side thereof a perforated extension adjacent to the vertex of said corner.

9. A device secured Xedly to a corner of a sail and slidably Within a groove in a spar comprising a board fastened to said sail at said corner and lying in the plane of said sail and having a hole therethrough adjacent to the vertex of said corner, a projection on one edge of said board, and a hinge member pivotally secured on one side thereof to said projection and on the other side thereof xedly to a bolt-rope of said sail and slidably Within said groove.

10. A device secured xedly to a corner of a sail and slidably Within a groove in a spar comprising a board fastened to said sail at said corner and lying in the plane of said sail and having a hole therethrough adjacent to the vertex of said corner, a projection on one edge of said board, and a hinge member pivotally secured on one side thereof to said projection and having on the other side thereof a cylindrical tube secured fixedly to a bolt-rope of said sail and slidably Within said groove.

ISAAC F. MANCHESTER, JR.

No references cited.

Certicate of Correction Patent N o. 2,488,918 November 22, 1949 ISAAC F. MANCHESTER, JR.

It is hereby certified that errors appear in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows:

Column 3, line 2, beginning With the word board, strike out all to and including head in line 3, same column, and insert instead the following: 26. The upper forward corner of the head-board 8 'is cat away to allow the latter to move; lines 33 and 61:' after on insert one;

and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Oce.

Signed and sealed this 7th day of March, A. D. 1950.

[SEAL] THOMAS F. MURPHY,

Assistant Commissioner of Patents. 

